Gary Bettman to Toronto Maple Leafs: "Back Off Brian Burke, or Else!"

Before Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke regarding the state of the league and touched on something the Anaheim Ducks would find important: the situation regarding General Manager Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs, still in need of a General Manager, openly sought the Ducks GM's attention earlier in the spring. The situation was already addressed heavily in the media and it was said Burke would stay in Anaheim if for no other reason than being under contract.

According to Adam Brady, the Ducks' Director of Publications & New Media, “Bettman essentially told the Leafs to back off, without specifically telling the Leafs to back off. He said, 'If there's tampering going on, ultimately there are no secrets in this world. We will get to the bottom of it. And I'm no fan of tampering. And when it happens, it gets punished severely.'" Bettman made it more clear, saying that "a team that meddles with an individual under contract could face heavy fines and the loss of draft picks."

This information is courtesy of Adam Brady's Ducks Blog and http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3411574